


Brothers, Burgers and The Bachelor

by orphan_account



Series: Domestic Bitches [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Jealousy, M/M, Post-Season/Series 10, domestic bitches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24039124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: [Lip POV] Lip and Mickey develop an unlikely friendship, and Lip gains a new understanding of Ian and Mickey's relationship.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher & Lip Gallagher, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Lip Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich
Series: Domestic Bitches [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1753711
Comments: 37
Kudos: 381





	Brothers, Burgers and The Bachelor

“Hey Mickey, where’s my kid?” Lip called, letting himself in to the Gallagher homestead.

“ _Shhh_ , he’s sleeping!”

This was unexpected; Mickey cradling a slumbering Freddie against his chest as he spread out on the sofa, the TV playing quietly in the background.

Lip had been in the middle of work when he’d gotten a text from Mickey that simply said _Come get your spawn_. The message had filled him with dread; Tami was meant to be watching Freddie that day, and Mickey was the last person she would have chosen to leave him with. Luckily, Brad understood the stress of co-parenting with a Tamietti and had let Lip skip out of work early.

“Your crazy baby mama came by in a mood and just dumped the brat on me. You know this is my one fucking day off this week?” Mickey grumbled.

Lip resisted the urge to point out that Mickey was still cradling Freddie to his chest. He seemed in no hurry to give the kid up so Lip went into the kitchen and grabbed himself a soda from the fridge, picking up a can of beer for Mickey as well. He slid onto the couch and handed Mickey his drink, before cracking his own open and taking a gulp. It would never hit the same as a cold can of beer after work, but it would have to do.

“Wait, are you watching _The Bachelor_?”

“It’s _Bachelor in Paradise_ and shut the fuck up, Anna F and Kimberley are about to fight.”

By the time Ian came home a couple of hours later, Lip was completely absorbed in the Bachelor marathon. Mickey had been steadily working his way through his 6 pack, and while Lip had stuck to soda and water, he almost felt like he'd caught a contact high. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this relaxed, heckling the TV screen and cracking jokes with Mickey while Freddie miraculously slept peacefully in his travel cot.

“Honey, I'm home,” Ian called with a laugh as he entered the living room and made a beeline for the sofa. Immediately, Mickey tilted his head back and Ian leaned over the back of the sofa to give him a kiss.

Lip's stomach lurched. He was happy for Ian, of course he was, but whenever he saw Ian and Mickey performing their very specific brand of domestic bliss, it served as a harsh reminder of how different his life with Tami was.

_Shit, Tami!_

Lip swiped his phone open and sure enough he had a barrage of missed calls from her.

“I can’t believe you roped Lip into this,” Ian said, settling on the arm of the sofa. “I swear, you’re obsessed with this show.”

“Straight people are crazy man,” Mickey said with a laugh. “Just look at fucking Ray and Debra over here,” he added, pointing at Lip.

“Oh yeah, Tami rang me earlier looking for you,” Ian said. “Is everything okay?”

“Guess I’ll find out.” Lip got up and started gathering Freddie’s things. He might as well face whatever rage Tami had worked up over the ensuing hours in person.

***

Surprisingly, the Bachelor marathon marked the beginning of a tentative friendship between Lip and Mickey. Freddie was an easy baby in general – not unlike Liam – but it was like Mickey had a magic power when it came to him. Mickey and Freddie had some weird understanding where they would just stare at each other in silence, until Mickey’s uncontrollable eyebrows would send Freddie into paroxysms of laughter. Lip couldn’t deny it, it was fucking adorable.

Even when Mickey had been paying Lip to write essays and beating him up, Lip had still had to admit that the guy was hilarious. Hanging out with Mickey and listening to him rant with his wildly colorful language was a great escape from the stress of worrying about doing fatherhood correctly, paying the bills, anticipating Tami's next mood swings, and trying to not neglect Liam on top of that.

Mickey understood that responsibility too. Although he's been one of the youngest of his siblings, he was also clearly far smarter than his brothers and he'd had to step up to that responsibility from an early age. Those caretaking instincts were still ingrained in him, and slowly but surely, he was taking over the role of the new Fiona.

“This whole Mr. Mom thing is a good look on you,” Lip said, as he let himself into the kitchen, Freddie strapped to his chest. He walked over to the stove, to the now familiar sight of Mickey preparing breakfast for the household in a cropped T-shirt and boxers. From the rough edges, it was clear the piece was another Mickey Milkovich design.

Mickey flipped him off and then smacked Lip's hand away as he reached for a pancake.

“Ian's bringing Franny down, we're going to eat together.”

As if summoned, Lip heard Ian’s footsteps coming down the stairs. “Shall we go see what Uncle Mickey has made for breakfast?” Ian cooed as he entered the kitchen, holding Franny’s hand. Lip and Mickey shared a grimace. Ian’s love of kids was appreciated, especially when he was offering to babysit Freddie, but his baby voice was downright creepy. Mickey had brought it up a few times, with his trademark bluntness, but Ian refused to stop.

“Hey man,” he said, clapping Lip on the shoulder, before dropping into a seat at the table. “If you’re looking to drop Freddie off, no can do. I’m working a double today.”

“Yeah, I know. I actually stopped by to ask if Mick wanted to catch a movie this afternoon after his shift.”

“Are you asking my husband on a date in front of me?” Ian asked, amused.

“Why, jealous?” Lip shot back. “I’m off work today, and Tami’s taking Fred over to see her family later, so I need to take advantage of this free time.”

“Trunchbull isn’t making you come along?” Mickey, as he placed the stack of pancakes on the table. He moved to take a seat, but Ian pulled Mickey onto his lap instead, giving him an obnoxious kiss on his cheek.

“She’s been acting really nice all week and it’s terrifying. Who knows how long it’ll last, I need to take advantage and you promised you’d watch it with me.”

“What’s the movie?” Ian asked.

“This Chinese film” – “Korean,” Lip interjected – “that Lip’s been going on about for weeks. I already told him I don’t watch movies I have to read but he kept going on about how violent it is.” Mickey pointed the knife he was using to cut up Franny’s pancakes at Lip. “I’m warning you now, if it isn’t bloody enough, I’m fucking stabbing you until it is.”

Mickey’s threat was made slightly less effective by his position on Ian’s lap. Ian’s hands tightened slightly from their position on Mickey’s hips, where he had been stroking the strip of skin revealed by the crop top. His face was carefully blank, but Lip could tell from years of experience that he was feeling annoyed about being left out. Lip and Mickey’s newfound friendship was something Ian was still coming to terms with.

Ian had always been private, even as a kid. Despite growing up in such a large family where hand-me-downs were the norm, Ian had always hated sharing and wanted to keep things for himself. He had scattered hiding spots around the house where he would keep battered toy soldiers, which eventually transitioned into hiding his gay porn. Lip had always been the closest thing Ian had to a confidante, and even then, getting him to share about his feelings was like pulling teeth. Lip knew it was partly his own fault though; his reaction to Ian coming out wasn’t exactly his finest moment, and he’d always taken a laissez-faire approach to Ian’s relationships, no matter how fucked up they were.

Well, Ian was going to have to get over himself, because Lip wasn’t giving up on an evening out of the house, hanging out with Mickey. He reached over to the table and grabbed a couple of pancakes, calling out “See you tonight, Mick” as he headed out the back door.

***

Thankfully, the movie was suitably gory for even Mickey’s tastes, and Lip insisted they grab a burger afterwards, not willing to end the evening just yet.

Their waiter very clearly had a thing for Mickey, to Mickey's annoyance and Lip's amusement.

“Are you blind?” Mickey snapped, after the waiter stopped by once again, hovering over his shoulder, to ask if Mickey was enjoying his meal. “Can you not see the fucking wedding rings on my hand, or do I need to get Happily Married tattooed on my fucking forehead for you to get a clue? Maybe you want to see the fucking wedding photos on my phone, or should I just save time and call my husband down here?" Mickey reached for his phone, as the waiter turned a deep red, before stammering an apology and walking away.

“Thank you, holy fuck,” Mickey said, turning back to face Lip, seemingly oblivious to the stares from the neighboring tables. “And you can calm down, Chuckles, it ain’t that funny.” Lip, who was still shaking with silent laughter had to disagree.

Mickey dove back into his rant about the ugly new clothes that had just arrived at Old Army, but he kept getting distracted by the buzzing on his phone.

“Let me guess,” Lip said, leaning back against the booth. “Ian again?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how he finds the time to keep blasting my phone with texts, he’s supposed to be working,” Mickey said, tapping out a quick response on his phone.

“He’s jealous.”

“Yeah, well you’re not my type, Phillip,” Mickey said, finally pocketing his phone and shooting Lip a shit-eating grin.

“Yeah, I know all about your ginger fetish,” Lip said. “And I meant more that Ian’s never liked sharing his toys.”

“Nah man, Ian doesn’t get jealous and it’s fucking annoying as shit. If he’d been here when that waiter was hitting on me, he wouldn’t even blink.”

“Yeah, well that’s because he knows he’s not a threat, you’re obviously way too whipped to ever cheat.” Lip ducked the wad of paper napkins Mickey threw at him with a laugh.

“What, and you’re a threat?” Mickey asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, because you actually like spending time with me and Ian’s used to your misanthropic ass hating everyone.”

“Right,” Mickey said, thumbing his lip. “And yet Ian has no problem leaving me whenever things get a little too real. Riddle me that, College.” Mickey’s tone was light, but Lip didn’t miss the tell-tale way Mickey avoided eye-contact, busying himself with the plate of fries. Lip knew he had to tread carefully, Mickey was insanely sensitive, and he didn’t want to set him off.

“You know Ian’s obsessed with you, right?” Lip said, leaning forward and trying to catch Mickey’s eye.

Mickey was silent.

“No, seriously man, Ian’s emotionally constipated but he’s always been obsessed with you. I’ve known about your fucked-up relationship since Kash shot you. Even when he was fucking around with creepy old men and you refused to acknowledge him, he was calling you his boyfriend. It was pretty embarrassing.”

Mickey grunted, but Lip could see the beginning of a blush on his pale skin.

“And you should have seen the way he was walking around like a kicked puppy when you were with that hipster. I caught him sleeping cuddling up to your pillow, like smelling it and shit.”

Mickey looked up, the beginning of a smile on his face, which he quickly covered up with a swipe of his nose. “Really?” he asked, voice uncharacteristically soft.

“Really.” Lip grinned as Mickey sat up straight and began digging into his fries in earnest.

“Eat your fucking burger,” Mickey said, when Lip made no move to look away from him. “And stop looking at me like that, I thought I was the flaming ’mo here.”

***

Lip stopped by the Gallagher house a few weeks later to spend time with Liam. Liam was such a naturally independent kid that it was easy to forget how young he was, but as he drew closer and closer to Frank, it was clear that Fiona’s leaving had made more of an impact than they’d thought. He’d like to be able to put the blame on Fiona, but Lip couldn’t ignore the spike of guilt he felt when he thought about how he had thrown himself into his new family with Tami and Freddie, and left Liam behind as a result. Tami’s constant diatribes about the Gallaghers being white trash were exhausting, and infuriating, but she had a point about Liam’s youth. He didn’t need that responsibility so young. His focus should be school, and then college and hopefully not fucking up the opportunities he was given, like Lip had.

Lip found Ian sitting on the front steps, smoking a cigarette, and dressed in a fitted suit that looked out of place on South Wallace. Lip stopped at the gate, looking down on Ian and his suit with a look of bemusement.

“Mickey dressed me,” Ian explained, gesturing down at his outfit, and dropping ash from the cigarette over his legs. “Fuck! He’s gonna kill me if I ruin the suit.”

Lip chuckled; planning his wedding had unleashed a whole new side to Mickey, and it was clearly here to stay. “Where are you going that you need to dress up like that? I thought date nights for you two was banging in the Alibi backroom.”

“One of my co-workers is getting hitched,” Ian said, absentmindedly playing with the rings on his finger. “I was kinda surprised Mick wanted to come, he hates meeting new people. He kicked me out while I finished getting ready because I was being a distraction.” Ian put the word “distraction” in air quotes, and Lip grimaced. He already knew way too much about Ian and Mickey’s sex lives.

“Mickey hates people, but he loves getting to show off that he’s married,” Lip said, with a pointed look at the rings. “You know he’s gonna spend the whole time telling people how much better your wedding was.”

“True,” Ian laughed. “I’m probably gonna have to keep a tight leash on him though; he’s not exactly well socialized, and I have to work with these people.”

Lip grimaced. It wasn’t really his place to say anything, but he couldn’t help but think back to Mickey’s expression in the diner, his surprise that Ian openly missed him when he was gone. He braced himself for Ian’s typical defensiveness.

“Why do you always do that,” he asked. At Ian’s blank look, he pressed on. “You always put Mickey down when you talk about him.”

“You say worse shit about Tami all the time!” Ian said, incredulously.

“Are you really making that comparison?” Lip wasn’t an idiot, he knew his relationship with Tami was increasingly becoming one of convenience, and it was a far cry from the decade-long love story of Ian and Mickey.

Agitated, Ian stood up from the steps, walking up to Lip. “When did you become Mickey’s biggest fan anyway?”

“Look, just don’t let Mickey hear you saying shit like that, okay?”

“What the fuck, man. As if he would even care–”

“He cares a lot more than you think.”

Ian scoffed, but Lip pushed on anyway. “I just - I think you tell yourself Mickey's feelings can’t get hurt so you don’t have to acknowledge what you’ve done to him in the past. How you’ve hurt him in the past. How he’s still kinda scared you’re going to do it again.”

Ian sank back onto the step. “Wha-what, you’re saying _Mickey_ told you that?”

“Not in so many words, but it’s pretty obvious Ian.”

“I think I know my fucking husband better than you do, Lip,” Ian said, stomping out his cigarette and immediately reaching for another one.

“Yeah, well you’re not the one who’s been watching the Bachelor with him for months. The guy’s a straight-up romantic, and he just wants to be shown off by his husband and know you’re proud of him.” Lip braced himself for more pushback, but Ian just sat there with a pensive look on his face, once again toying with his wedding rings.

Lip was considering whether he should push his luck further when the front door swung open and Mickey stepped out, dressed to the nines in a deep purple suit. Ian and Lip shared a quick look before Ian stood up, turning to face Mickey. He let out a low whistle that put a crooked grin on Mickey’s face.

Mickey bounded down the steps and came to a stop in front of Ian, who immediately moved to adjust his tie. “Look at you,” Ian beamed. “Fucking gorgeous.”

Mickey ducked his head slightly, his pale skin beginning to flush red. “You don’t look too shabby either,” he said, licking his lips.

“And that’s my cue to go in,” Lip said, as the familiar feeling of being a third wheel to Ian and Mickey set in.

“Yeah, we need to run too, if we’re gonna catch the L in time,” Ian said, reaching out to take Mickey’s hand. He gave Lip a small nod before they turned to talk away, Mickey flipping Lip off over his shoulder.

Lip smiled as he watched them walk away. It was too soon to tell if he’d managed to get through to Ian, but he was sure they’d be okay anyway. They always were, in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> This was born out of the desire to give Mickey a friend, and to address Ian's (frustrating) habit of insulting Mickey when talking about him with other people. As amazing as the wedding episode was, I think there are still quite a few unresolved issues between Ian and Mickey that would inevitably end up cropping up during their marriage.


End file.
